The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1887-10-19
FOREST PRESERVATION.
Serious Results Following tho Dcstruc,
ton from "ClcMrimg Upn and Eirc.

lcr IN SCrlbn"r s has ably proSentC! t|N
tOk;c OF tree prcScrvOtiCn-a topic tho
American people must positively give
heed 10. Nc nation under the sun was
IN times of peace ever SO wasteful as our
own. The increasing case of securing a
supply of food has tended for some hun
i.cds of years, ifo not thousands, to rem
der III beings less economical of
means and careful Of methods. The older
races, ike the Chinese, never waste; to
them everything has its uac. But we
have destroyed AZ much rs we nave pro-
Guc.d. Forests that mature raised by tho
labor of q thousand years we have burned
up III q day. Civilization has invented
the phrase clearing up, which means
wanton removal of all things that stand
III the way Of our immediate needs.
Where vast stretches OF oaks covered
millions OF acres it is difficult to find a
single grove or a single tree; but how IN
cstimablr such remains arc when foundI
Il is not wholly from the unitarian
standpoint that we look, but the aesthetic.
These are like their surroundings. If ii
Ike undesirable TO dwell in the forest, it Is
still more undesirable TO dwell without
the CoulpaMionship Of trees. But a. a
matter OF economy and physical nccCS-
s!ty We are compelled to have sympathy
lNI tt!lu WIKI l..t N'NtIlllc WORTH. Our
destiny, in common with the whole ami
mai kingdom, il identified with the plant
kingdom. IL The struggle for existence.
from the ou;2t, there has been a mutual
iutcrdcpenGrnc" Of al living things. If
we destroy tho trees we injurc our own
progress and prospects. In the present
economy of nature pyotoplasm, or the
bais OF life, can only be created by the
plant kingdom; from it we receive the
samo at second hand. But our existence
Is dependent on trees and plants in many
other ways, AID always has been. The
earliest human races we're l~ittoral, or
shore dwcllcrs. They had no tools 10
work their way through forests. nor
weapons 90 cope with the dCnizens of tho
forest. But wit! increase Of tho art of
making tools human beings left the shore
and roanlcd the forests AZ hunters. To
the hunting races the dcStruction OF trees
was the destruction Of their means OF OK
istencc. Tho North American Indian
say only starvation in the white mans
~uusparing X
Civilization has brough. It's into even
closer relation 10 trees. and moro init
mate dependence IN vegetation. Tho
equilibrium Of tie cir, adjusting the pro-
portions ct carbon ECscs for our healthy
existence, depends on trees. Malaria is
not caused, but prevented, by u julicioua
proportion OF forest land. Professor Sha-
Ter takes III the case with great energy
TO show that the lUoSt serious result fol-
lowing the destruction of our forests will
he the consequent loss of soil, turning
vast areas into deserts. "Alrcady q LARGO
part Of many fertile regions has hcIn
sterilizel in Thu fashion: and each wear q
larger portion Of our infinitely precious
heritage OF coll slips into rivers and finds
its way to the soa, because we have de-
rrivcd it Of the protecting coating Of
vegctat!on.' Wo have also to consider
the Immense vegetation deposit which il
yearly added 70 the soil where forests
abound Our own culture takes from
the soil, on tho contrary, moro han it
gives. SO the waste fIyr: rain is greater
III titled soils thai! in Wor,ci lands. IN
forest the soil is ever deepening; In oC2n
lHnIB ever decreasing. This evil we must
endure, but should 10 careful no. - ag-
gravGto. Tho amount ui soil now swept
away annually il actually ~clogging Tie
large rivers, compelling them constantly
- change channels. Tho argument Of
Professor Sl&lcr is pressed to show that
no man has such . right in soil that no
may be wastc!Ui OF 1t, or use it for the
disadvantage If lis nuighiors. Govern
nlcnt, he holds, should interfere 10 pre-
vent waste Of forests.
The question OF forest preservation has
Ergn more or less considered by several
OF tho states, Lut, il fact, apart from the
encouragement OF tree planting, little has
been done III q systematic manner to
regulate the use or prevent the waste Of
trees. Our relation to the vegetable
Kingdom grows even moro intricate, and
ON serious dependence more emphasized
constantly, since the demands OF civiliza-
ton for timber md fuel increase, and
must increase.
At present the" greatest loss In tho way
OF forest destruction i3 from fires caused
by locomotives, malice or carclessness.
Some Of the railroads have already taken
action to prevent the recurrence Ct the
evil from locomotive sparks. Tho plan
adopted il to clear away al timber
growth for 100 feet on each side of the
track. ~ furrow is then run along the
outer cdSc of this space, and the whole
kept moved and clean. The loss from
timer fires Il not less than an average Of
$1,000. 600 per state annually. This il
wholly ~prcvcHtaIic,
The worl; Of Professor Shalcr Is notable
in this respect, that it makes the subject,
which has been rather held to I've local, to
DO q continental matter. Ho hus en-
largcd tho subject, and shown that it
vitality touches the very possibility Of
human existence Globe Democrat.
Draining tho Pinsk Marshes.
A. iDop,onCo JrainoCo u.crL ,,nlDrt,l.,,,